For centuries, the idea of humanity living on another planet has been a prevalent on the minds of people ranging from astronomers to regular people. Now, the idea finally can become a reality, yet many oppose it. Humanity terraforming Mars needs to happen, for the survival of our species, the opportunities for resource harvesting, and its diplomatic potential. Earth has been struck multiple times by space objects, such as asteroids, triggering mass extinctions. “Every few million years, the Earth tends to be wiped clear of almost all life in a globally catastrophic event (read:asteroid collision). An asteroid the size of Dactyl could wipe us off the face of the Earth.” The author of the “terraforming mars” doc writes, saying …show more content…
The author of the “terraforming mars” doc writes “There is an abundance of rare metals on Mars such as platinum, gold, silver, and others. Shipping from Mars to Earth, as mentioned above, is much easier than the other way around.”. Mining materials from Mars will extend the limited amount of time humankind has to find alternative methods for daily life. Besides the materials residing in martian soil, Mars also is neighboring the asteroid belt, and the asteroids are composed of precious materials. The author of the “terraforming mars” doc writes “Even more promising is the proximity of the asteroid belt to Mars. Dactyl, the moon orbiting the asteroid Ida shown in this picture, is 1.4 kilometers in diameter, yet it contains more iron that the human race has used in its entire existence. These asteroids could be mined near Mars and shipped from the planet for little cost.” This would benefit humanity economically,improving human condition. Terraforming Mars will give humanity access to limited materials, in quantities that are inconceivable, which will improve humanity’s economy and